I. ˈrad. ə l, -at ə l verb
( rattled ; rattled ; rattling -d. ə liŋ, -t( ə )l- ; rattles )
Etymology: Middle English ratelen; akin to Old English hratele, a plant, Middle Dutch ratelen to rattle, ratele, ratel rattle, Middle High German razzeln, razzen to rage, rattle, Old Norse hrata to fall, stagger — more at cardinal
intransitive verb
1. : to make, cause, or emit a rapid succession of short sharp noises or of similarly discontinuous sounds (as through shaking or recurrent collisions of hard bodies) : clatter
the windows rattle in the wind
a diamondback rattlesnake … slow to coil or rattle unless angered — Marjory S. Douglas
2. : to make a rattle in the throat
3. : to chatter incessantly and aimlessly
she rattled on for an hour
walked over the grounds … rattling, chatting — George Meredith
4. : to move or proceed with a clatter or rattle : drive or ride clatteringly
a wagon rattling through the streets
we rattled along briskly
transitive verb
1. : to say, perform, or affect in a brisk lively fashion especially with a rattle or clatter
the gale rattled the tiles from the roof
— often used with off
guides … rattle off the history of atomic energy — Daniel Lang
2. : to cause (something) to make a rattling sound
rattling their mess kits impatiently
3. archaic : to rail at : scold
for this he has been rattled — Thomas Gray
4. : to shake up : rouse
rattling us up at this hour of the night — Walter Macken
specifically : to beat (a cover) for game
5. : to disturb the composure of : agitate , disconcert
rattle a player
hecklers trying to rattle the speaker
6. : to test or tumble (as metal castings) in a rattler
Synonyms: see embarrass
II. noun
( -s )
Usage: often attributive
1.
a. : a rapid succession of sharp clattering sounds like those made by repeated collision of hard bodies
an old car full of knocks and rattles
the rattle of musketry
the rattle of a drum
b. : racket
cannot bear a place without some cheerfulness and rattle — Samuel Johnson
c. : noisy rapid talk : chatter
in a good deal of rattle … a grain or two of sense — R.W.Emerson
a light rattle of small talk — E.G.Lowry
d. : the property of paper that causes it to be noisy when shaken or crumpled
starch … imparts snap and rattle to the sheet — F.H.Norris
2.
a. : a child's toy that rattles when shaken and that consists usually of a case containing loose pellets
b. : a noisemaker with a tongue that plays on the teeth of a ratchet wheel when revolved formerly used by watchmen and now by merrymakers — called also watchman's rattle
c. : a dance instrument (as a receptacle with noise-making contents or a stick with clashing objects) that is rhythmically shaken during various dances (as of American Indians) : idiophone
d. : a tiresome or frivolous chatterer : senseless talker
from the point of view of an artless, affectionate rattle — Mary Bailey
3.
a. : a plant of the genus Rhinanthus ; especially : an annual herb ( R. crista-galli ) of the north temperate zone with showy yellow purple-spotted flowers that is partially parasitic on grasses and other plants and that has seeds which rattle in the inflated capsule when ripe — called also yellow rattle
b. : a European lousewort ( Pedicularis palustris ) — called also red rattle
4.
a. : the sound-producing organ on a rattlesnake's tail
b. : one of the constituent segments of this organ
5. : the noise in the throat caused by air passing through mucus ; specifically : that heard at the approach of death — compare rale
6. : a movement of brushing forward and striking back with the ball of the foot in dancing
III. transitive verb
( rattled ; rattled ; rattling -d. ə liŋ, -t( ə )l- ; rattles )
Etymology: back-formation from rattling (II)
: to furnish (a ship's shrouds) with ratlines : fasten ratlines on — often used with down
rattle down the rigging